1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot cleaner, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner having a function for detecting separation of a dust tank from a body, and operated only when the dust tank is mounted at the body.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a robot cleaner serves to automatically clean an area to be cleaned by moving the area to be cleaned without a user's adjustment, and by sucking foreign materials such as dust, etc. from the floor surface.
The related art robot cleaner will be explained with reference to FIG. 1.
As shown, the related art robot cleaner comprises a suction motor 2 installed in a body 1 for generating a suction force, a dust tank 4 installed at a front side of the suction motor 2, and having a filter 3 for collecting dust, etc. sucked by the suction motor 2; a suction head 6 provided at a lower side of the body 1 so as to be connected to the dust tank 4 by a connection pipe 5, for sucking dust of the floor surface; a controller 7 for controlling an operation of each component; a main brush 8 rotatably installed in the suction head 6 for brushing dust or foreign materials of the floor surface; and a motor (not shown) installed at a peripheral portion of the main brush 8.
In the related art robot cleaner, a user can certify whether the dust tank 4 has been separated from the body 1 by each pressure sensor (not shown) installed at a contact part of ‘A’ between the connection pipe 5 and the dust tank 4, and a suction side ‘B’ of the suction motor 2. However, in the related art, the user can certify that the dust tank 4 has been separated from the body 1 by a pressure difference after a cleaning operation is performed.
Accordingly, the related art robot cleaner performs a cleaning even when the dust tank 4 is not coupled to the body 1, and thus dust is accumulated in the body 1 thereby to cause the user's inconvenience.
Moreover, when the dust tank is mounted inside the body, certifying whether the dust tank is mounted at the body is more difficult thus to cause the user's inconvenience.